Both grandmasters finished all four games of their final encounter with a draw, but it was Aronian who won the first tie-break playing the white pieces and secured a victory in the following game battling with the black pieces.

The 2017 World Chess Cup, which is held in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on September 2-28, offered up to $1 million in prize money up for grabs. The tournament also saw for the first time in its history the participation of the reigning world champion, who is currently Magnus Carlsen of Norway.

The winner of the World Chess Cup and his runner-up, who are Armenia’s Aronian and China’s Ding Liren respectively, have been now granted places in the 2018 FIDE Candidates Tournament in Berlin on March 10-28, 2018.